Folks might like to read this story from the travel section of today's issue of my local paper, The Detroit Free Press: http://www.freep.com/story/travel/2015/09/09/cruise-lost-suitcase-49-days-limbo/71701780/ Their cruise line was the hero.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
Thanks to Rick's advice, I haven't checked a bag in 15 years. But then I don't take cruises.
Posted by
Phoenix AZ
635 posts
In 2001 we were returning to LAX from Rome on British Airways after a Mediterranean cruise, with an overnight stopover in London. I had purchased a bright red rolling duffel bag in Europe in which to transport souvenirs and other miscellany (this of course was in the days before we had the "travel light" epiphany). Apparently the tag got detached from the bag after we checked it in at FCO, and it didn't make the trip. We noticed the bag was missing when it didn't show up on the carousel at Heathrow.
When we checked in at Heathrow for our flight home the next day, the BA agent apologized that they had not yet found the bag, and cheerfully upgraded us to business class (to the chagrin of our traveling companions stuck in sardine class!).
On arrival home I put in a claim with British Airways. Six weeks later a check arrived to cover the value of the bag and contents. Coincidentally, the bag, with all its contents, also arrived the same day.
(Yes, I sent the check back!)
Posted by
Green Bay
20081 posts
Up graded to business class? That had to be 14 years ago.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9420 posts
Upgraded to Business class is well worth losing a bag!
Posted by
OP
Detroit, MI, USA
103 posts
OP here. I went on one cruise to see what it was like, enjoyed it though my traveling companion didn't, and won't do it again because it's not my style of travel. All went well until I tried to pick up my suitcase after the cruise. It wasn't in the section where it was supposed to be. Fortunately, before I had a heart attack I looked around and spotted it in the wrong area which happened to be nearby.
Posted by
TN, USA
2114 posts
Marc,
Which cruise line did you use?
Posted by
OP
Detroit, MI, USA
103 posts
It was a Holland America Line Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Eurodam. As I said, almost everything was just fine. We won't cruise again because we like to be free to change our itinerary at the drop of a hat and didn't like having to eat so many of our meals in the same couple of places for a week. Our favorite meal of the whole week was a local food lunch in a bar on St. Thomas recommended by a cab driver. We also didn't appreciate the crowds getting on and off the ship before and after the cruise, for the excursions and in port days, and for transfers to and from the airport and from the hotel to the cruise port. PM me if you'd like a link to my lengthy review on the Cruise Critic web site.